Modern computer operating systems generally use pictures, such as icons, to represent application programs and documents on computer displays. The well-known MAC OS operating system from Apple Computer Corporation and the WINDOWS operating system from Microsoft Corporation are two examples of widely used graphics-oriented operating systems.
More recently, mobile terminals such as cellular telephones and wireless-enabled PDAs have incorporated graphics-oriented technology that allows a user to select application programs, web sites, and documents. Following increases in computing performance and memory capacity, mobile terminals now host an increasing number of application programs and capabilities. The Nokia 9210 COMMUNICATOR, for example, supports numerous functions such as telephone, fax, e-mail, calendar, and contacts features.
In order to maintain a convenient handheld form factor, the graphics displays for mobile terminals are necessarily small, thus limiting the amount of information that can be comfortably viewed at one time. Consequently, one problem confronting designers of such devices is determining how to maximize the number of icons and other graphical symbols on the display of such devices without making the symbols too small to see.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,047,197, entitled “Icon Driven Phone Menu System,” describes a cellular telephone including a display mode selector that allows a user to select one of two display modes. Although the display modes in the aforementioned patent allow a user to navigate through numerous icons on the display, each icon takes up roughly the same amount of space on the display, regardless of its importance to the particular user. For example, if one user predominantly uses application programs A and B, whereas a second user predominantly uses application programs C and D, each user must navigate through the same set of icons in order to locate his or her desired application programs. Although it is possible for two users to customize their mobile terminals to delete certain applications that are rarely used, it may be undesirable to do so. Moreover, some users may want the ability to access an application program or other object (e.g., a document) even if it is only rarely needed. Consequently, there remains the problem of providing a display of icons that is specific to a particular user's needs.
Another limitation with providing icon information on displays of mobile terminals is that it requires the user to read the information on the mobile terminal's display. As the mobile terminal receives new contextual information, the user may not become aware of this information. The mobile terminal typically receives new contextual information as the user moves from one area to another. A user on the move, however, is not always able to look at his/her mobile terminal. For example, the user may not wish to look at the mobile terminal while he/she is driving a vehicle. As another example, the user will not know to look at the mobile terminal if it is out of sight or in his/her pocket. As still another example, the user may be impaired vision. Accordingly, unless he/she actually reads the mobile terminal display, the user may not learn of certain information on a timely basis.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for systems and methods that provides contextual information in a timely manner and without requiring the user to actually view the mobile terminal.